YPG Cuts Water Supply to Syria's Aleppo

Authorities in Syria have accused the YPG of deliberately cutting off water supplies to Aleppo, after armed elements linked to the group reportedly ordered the shutdown of a key pumping facility.

According to the Syrian Energy Ministry, water distribution from the Babiri pumping station in eastern Aleppo countryside was halted at approximately 5:30 p.m. local time on Saturday. Officials said the stoppage followed direct instructions issued by individuals affiliated with the YPG.

The Babiri station, which remains under YPG control, is the main source of water for Aleppo and nearby rural areas. The ministry warned that the disruption has had province-wide consequences, severely affecting essential services and the daily lives of residents.

In its statement, the ministry said it considers the YPG fully accountable for what it described as an intentional suspension of water access. It added that attacks on critical infrastructure and the denial of basic necessities to civilians represent grave breaches of international humanitarian law.

Officials said emergency efforts are underway to restore pumping operations and resume water services as quickly as possible. The ministry also urged international organisations and relevant actors to address what it called YPG actions that threaten humanitarian stability and public services for millions of civilians.

Meanwhile, Syrian authorities confirmed that members of the YPG who had been encircled in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood began relocating on Saturday to the city of Tabqah, following a halt in military activity in the area. Tabqah lies in Raqqa province.

Security sources said that since Tuesday, YPG forces have carried out artillery attacks on residential districts, civilian infrastructure, and Syrian Army positions in Aleppo. The shelling reportedly left 23 people dead and more than 100 injured, while forcing around 165,000 residents to flee the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods.

Earlier this year, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement aimed at integrating the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions. The deal reaffirmed Syria’s territorial unity and rejected any form of partition.

A subsequent agreement signed in April addressed the status of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, designating both as official administrative districts of Aleppo while recognising their local characteristics. The arrangement included bans on armed presence, limits on weapons to internal security forces, and the withdrawal of YPG fighters to areas east of the Euphrates River.

However, Syrian officials say the YPG has failed to implement any meaningful steps toward fulfilling those commitments.

The government has stepped up nationwide security measures following the removal of former president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending more than two decades of rule and ushering in a new phase of political and security restructuring.